On February, 12, AccorHotels, the world’s leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, announced that it is a signatory of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs). This program, an initiative of UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact, defines seven principles that foster the empowerment of women in the workplace, the marketplace and the community.
- Principle 1: Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
- Principle 2: Treat all women and men fairly at work - respect and support human rights and non-discrimination
- Principle 3: Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
- Principle 4: Promote education, training and professional development for women
- Principle 5: Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women
- Principle 6: Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
- Principle 7: Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality
By adhering to these principles, AccorHotels is asserting its commitment to diversity and gender equality at an international level.
Sébastien Bazin, the Group’s Chairman and CEO, declared: “By signing the Women’s Empowerment Principles, AccorHotels is reasserting its commitment to fight stereotypes and encourage an increase in the percentage of women in decision-making positions. I am convinced that diversity is an asset that stimulates performance and innovation within our teams. We all stand to benefit!"
The Group recognizes each of its employee’s differences and believes individual skills are central to performance. Equality in the workplace and the fight against stereotypes have been a priority for AccorHotels and were officially declared as such in 2011 in its Diversity Charter, which was translated into 15 languages.
This approach also led to the creation two years ago of Women at AccorHotels Generation (WAAG), the international network of women working for the Group, which aims to support the personal and professional development of AccorHotels’ women employees in the head offices and the hotels. WAAG, which has 2,500 men and women members worldwide, notably promotes a mentoring program, dialogue with roles models, career progress and the forging of ties with other networks.
Sophie Stabile, AccorHotels’ Chief Financial Officer and President of WAAG, added:
“As well as the initiatives it has implemented over the last two years, WAAG not only offers our women employees a new forum for expression, but it also reinforces the Group’s commitment to a policy of continuous improvement intended to accelerate its cultural and managerial transformation.”
On the strength of this signature, in 2015, WAAG intends to maintain its momentum and include more men in its activities while continuing to develop and support local initiatives as well as awareness raising and training programs.
